Category: reading

Well I was looking forward to October. I received some bad news yesterday, so we’ll see what happens with the rest of the month.

September had its good moments. My oldest son, Oliver, decided (at the last minute) to go back to public school. That means that days before the first day of school, I was running around trying to buy what’s left of school uniforms and registering him for his school of choice. He didn’t get in, but he’s pretty content with the school he was transferred to. I’m content with him being at school. It’s one less kid to worry about or have to make lesson plans for. Avram, my youngest son, hates that his brother is gone during the day, but is getting used to the whole idea.

I didn’t read as much as I wanted to last month. I was in a heck of a reading rut, but the few books I read were pretty good. The month’s best books were:

Jackaby by William Ritter (supernatural mystery)Beastly Bones by William Ritter (supernatural mystery)Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown (graphic nonfiction)The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown (graphic nonfiction)

If you haven’t read the last two books, please put them on your library holds list now. You won’t regret it.

Andi (Estella’s Revenge) came up with a fantastic idea. She’s hosting a challenge called #15in31, where she tries to read 15 books during the 31 days of October. I’m still weeding books from my bookshelves, so I decided to join Andi. At least then I can say that I read some of the books I got rid of. I doubt I’ll get anywhere close to reading 15 books this month, but I want to try. Some of the books on my stack includes:

Rereads

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and The Ocean at The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman . After reading both books, I was sure I liked them but not sure if I loved them. I’m hoping with a reread, I’ll figure out if I want to keep them or not. I may squeeze in my favorite Gaiman of all, American Gods.

The Night Circus is a book that I’ve been meaning to read to my daughter for ages. Now is the perfect time with it being fall. As anyone listened to it on audio? How is it?

New Books

Marvels by Brain Selznick. I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret and enjoyed Wonderstruck. Selnick has a wonderful imagination and reading his stories and looking at his illustrations is always a good way to spend a few hours.

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. This retelling of Arabian Nights has been receiving so many positive reviews. I can’t wait to start reading.

March Vol. 2 by John Lewis. If you haven’t read the first volume of March, you need to start soon. My only complaint about the first volume is that it’s too short. March is a powerful trilogy about Lewis’s rise in the Civil Rights Movement.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This book has been on my tbr shelf for too long.

So that’s just a few of the books I’m reading this month. What are you looking forward to in October?

It’s been too long since my last post. I’ve missed you all so much! The baby’s sleep, so let’s see if I can write and post this before she wakes up.

I actually read a book last week! It’s such an amazing feeling when you finish a book after such a long period of doing everything but reading. Last week, I received a copy of William Ritter’s Jackabyand his newest book,Beastly Bones. I dove into Jackaby and finished it in a day. The book has been described as “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and it kind of fits. I just started Beastly Bones and I plan on finishing it soon.

The scene: // For the first time ever, I am days past my due date. I’m calm about it, while the rest of my family are on eggshells waiting for the new arrival. She’ll come when she comes. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy my time and just read and do any last minute things.

June: // was an okay month for reading. I don’t what happened. I checked out many books from the library and even read books from Scribd, but there just wasn’t enough “yes!” books. You know the type of book where you want to grab the nearest person and make them read it? Those. Some standouts from last month includes:

Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices edited by Lisa Charleyboy. I spoke about this anthology last week. It’s good to see current work by indigenous people, especially young people. We need more books like this one.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton and Don Tate. I’m always on the lookout for good nonfiction to share with my kids. Plus, nonfiction picture books are a great way of learning about people and events that you wouldn’t have known about otherwise. John Roy Lynch spent most of his childhood a slave until about the age of fifteen. After that, he took on a number of jobs before becoming a portrait photographer, then a justice of the peace, and finally elected into Congress in a matter of a decade. Lynch’s life was pretty inspirational.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle. This was another inspirational nonfiction picture book. Decades ago, Cuba had this taboo against women playing the drums or becoming a drummer. As a young girl, Millo Castro Zaldarriaga wanted nothing more than to play the drums. It was her passion. Finally, her father relented and got her a teacher who believed that Millo was one of the best drummers he met. The young girl took off and even started an all-girl band with her older sisters, becoming world famous.

Blueprint Homeschooling: How to Plan a Year of Home Education That Fits the Reality of Your Life by Amy Knepper. With school starting in a little bit over a month, Blueprint Homeschooling was just the book I needed to help me plan the upcoming year. Knepper takes readers step-by-step through planning a whole school year in a matter of weeks. I found the book to be so helpful and it makes things less overwhelming. It was also refreshing to see her mention resources that beginner and veteran homeschoolers can use.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. The basics: a kick-ass young girl who loves to kill and is the sidekick to a local villain. Plus, she’s a shapeshifter. If you haven’t read this book already, you should. It’s much more than it seems. Noelle Stevenson can’t produce things fast enough for me.

Time: // 5: 43 a.m. Tuesday morning. Everyone is asleep and the house is so quiet. It’s such a rare thing to experience.

The scene: // I’ve been trying for the past two days to write a post, but to no avail. Two of the kids have been sick with various things, I had a killer migraine, and there were countless errands and chores to do around the house. Now that all of that is out the way, I can sit here quietly and gather my thoughts.

This weekend: // my city had their first annual Beach Streets event, where they closed down a major street to cars and opened it up to bikes, pedestrians, skateboards. . . almost anything that moved. I took my kids and sisters to this fun event that lasted most of the day. It’s funny how the idea of closing down a street to let people walk and ride could be so much fun. It was one of the best events my city has ever hosted.

Last week I read: // a ton of children’s books and Syllabus by Lynda Barry. The thing I’ve come to understand about Barry is that in each work of hers, there’s always a question that she needs to explore. In Syllabus she brings together several questions that she’s had about art and images, but also how can keeping a daily notebook help us transfer the things we think about, that are inside us to something more solid on paper and to others.

The book’s form is so unique. It’s like a composition notebook with so much color and images on each page. There’s also a lot of inspiration to be found. I don’t think I’m going to buy a copy of Syllabus, but I can see why so many people want to. My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Next up is: // a ton of books! There’s so much that I want to read. My boys are reluctant readers, so I’m trying to find fantastic middle grade books that I can share with the two of them this summer. This week I’m trying to read and finish:

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste. It has such a creepy cover and it has to do with creatures from Carribean fairy tales.
How often can a reader say that?

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. I’m probably one of the few people who haven’t read this book yet. If you haven’t picked up the Lumberjanes yet, you need to change that.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby.

I’m looking forward to reading all five books this week. Most of them have already been named a favorite book of the year by various sources I follow. And it’s only June!

The scene: // As usual, I’m sitting at my desk in the living room. I spend a lot of time at this spot, doing research, reading, or just watching my kids play outside.

Drinking: // coffee.

Reading: // Syllabus by Lynda Barry. I started it earlier in the week and though it’s a short book, I’m taking my time reading it. Barry has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a few years now and Syllabus is about some of her past classes. The book includes syllabi, assignments, and is done in that typical Barry style: composition book-like pages and filled with images. I can see why Joy enjoyed this book so much.

Thinking about: // the power of storytelling. It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Avid readers love stories and there are some themes we gravitate to, while ignoring others. Stories have the power to change us and give us words to experiences that we ourselves couldn’t voice.

With my daughter starting high school next year, I have the opportunity to create her English class. Previous classes offered for homeschooled high schoolers have been pretty bland, filled exclusively with busywork, books that were written at least forty years ago, and all the authors are white. Nope. That’s not for us.

So I’m starting from scratch: going over standards while figuring out what we should explore from themes to books, documentaries to podcasts. It’s scary, yet exciting at the same time. It also means that I have a ton of reading ahead like old favorites such as To Kill a Mockingbird, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Persepolis, American Born Chinese, and more. I have my work cut out for me.

Enjoying: // my last few weeks of pregnancy! I have four weeks left and it’s exciting, though I hope time flies by. I can’t wait to meet my baby girl.

Now I’m off to: // figure out what’s for breakfast. These kids aren’t going to feed themselves (though they’re old enough to).

I’m usually not someone who dislikes Mondays, but today is starting off a bit rough. Insomnia kicked in last night and I didn’t get much sleep. One of the best things about today is that it’s the first day of the Bout of Books read-a-thon, a week-long reading event where participants read as much or as little as they want.

I don’t often participate in this event, but I haven’t finished a book since Dewey’s Read-a-thon. It’s time for me to get my butt into gear and read instead of playing Candy Crush Saga.

I plan on picking my reading pile as I go, but three books that I definitely plan on getting to this week are:

March Book Two by John Lewis and Nate Powell (Thanks for the reminder, Sarah!)Rat Queens Vol. 2 by Kurtis I. WiebeNo Matter the Wreckage: Poems by Sarah Kay (A leftover from Dewey’s read-a-thon)

My goal is to read for at least one hour every day and to stay offline when I can. We’ll see how it goes.

Are you participating in Bout of Books 13? Do you have any tips for a newbie like me?

Monday update

It’s only 6 p.m., but I’m going to write an update now because I’m exhausted!

Thoughts: The short stories were creepy and Rat Queens was pretty good.

Pages read: 143

Tuesday Update

Allergies have been kicking our asses over here, so the only reading I was able to get done was children’s books with my youngest, Avram. My poor baby boy. He’s absolutely miserable, but it seems like reading to him calms him somewhat. That and Benadryl. We read:

Blue on Blue by Dianne White

The Bear’s Sea Escape by Benjamin Chaud

The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan

The Backwards Birthday Party by Tom Chapin

In Mary’s Garden by Tina Kugler

Blue on Blue and The Backwards Birthday Party were our favorites.

Next up: I’m not sure. We left the house briefly to go to the library and returned with a ton of books, including YA and anime for my daughter and graphic novels and picture books for the rest of us.

I did pretty well with Dewey’s Readathon and now I’ve decided to participate in Bout of Books, the week-long readathon. Hopefully, it’ll help me get through May’s tbr pile. Want to know more about the event?

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Usually, I’m the type of person who changes the calendar on days before the month ends, always eager for a new start. Nowadays, all the months look the same as I count down until my July due date. For May, I’m celebrating my mom’s birthday and the end of the homeschooling year. I’m also steadily trying to shrink my physical tbr (to be read) stack.

Now that May’s here, I scoured my tbr shelves and found the following books to tackle:

• Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (for next week’s Socratic Salon discussion)
• Where Women Are Kings by Christie Watson (fiction)
• The Best American Essays 2011 by Edwidge Danticat (I started this collection years ago and never finished it.)
• When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (fiction)
• The Voice of the River by Melanie Rae Thon (fiction)
• For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu (fiction)
• Economix: How Our Economy Works (And Doesn’t Work) by Michael Goodwin (graphic nonfiction)
• Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein (nonfiction)
• The Interstellar Age: Inside the Forty-Year Voyager Mission by Jim Bell (nonfiction)
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (fiction)

Some of these reads are pretty heavy, but I’m hoping that I can get through them all by the end of the month. I’m already in the middle of Economix and Citizen and both are really good reads with post-its sticking out.

What are you looking forward to reading in May? Do you make a monthly tbr list?

If you don’t know, Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon* has been going on for eight years now. A dear friend, Dewey, was the original host of the event before passing away. She was a sweet, generous, thoughtful, caring friend and blogger. There are so many people, (including myself,) that write about books because of her. There are authors (Neil Gaiman) and genres (fantasy/science fiction/graphic novels) that would probably still be at the bottom of my tbr list if it weren’t for Dewey.

While it’s not the same without Dewey here, (and it will never be,) I am so glad that Heather and Andi take on the gigantic task TWICE a year of hosting this event. You guys, along with your co-hosts, rock!

*For some people, this event means reading as much as they can for 24 hours straight. For others like myself, it means carving out 24 hours to enjoy doing something I love and engaging with fellow bookworms. How you choose to do the event is up to you, just remember to enjoy yourself and make new friends.

Here’s my game plan for the big day:

PoetryWhere Women Are Kings by Christie WatsonNo Matter The Wreckage: Poems by Sarah KayCitizen by Claudia RankineBlue Horses by Mary OliverThe Crossover by Kwame AlexanderGone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger

Middle GradeThe Witch’s Boy by Kelly BarnhillThe True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. I’m listening to this on audio and reading it in print.

Opening Meme1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Southern California2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? All of them!3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? This might sound crazy, but I’m looking forward to eating a Sloppy Joe.4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I’ve been blogging for eight years now, since the first read-a-thon. I’m currently seven months pregnant with my fourth child, a little girl. We’re homeschoolers which means I’m surrounded by projects, cookbooks, and tons of paperwork!5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I’ll actually participate. I have no idea what happened during the last ‘thon, but I barely read or cheerlead. Today, I’m doing both.
Happy reading!

I’ve left comments on 23 blogs and several pictures on Instagram. I’ve also cheered a little on Twitter.

Next up: I have no idea. I do know that I owe my youngest a round of Uno and he wants me to build something with him using Legos. We’ll see what happens.

Hour 9 Update

Here’s what I’m currently reading on Scribd:

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011 edited by Mary Roach. I heard this was a fantastic collection of essays.

Currently eating: a firecracker popsicle. It’s probably better than putting my face in a plate of fudge brownies. Nom nom.

Hour 17 Update

I’m still reading! Can you believe it?! I got off of social media and started reading several hours ago. I just finished The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, my third book. I really enjoyed it. Next up? I have no idea. We’ll see.

How are you guys doing?

End of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? None. I just took everything in stride.2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Graphic novels like Lumberjanes and The Wicked + The Divine are always great picks.3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Not at all! I had a blast.4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Everything. I have no complaints.5. How many books did you read? I actually finished three books: The Wicked + The Divine (a re-read), The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, and Ms. Marvel Vol. 2. I started The Best American Science and Nature Writing edited by Mary Roach.6. What were the names of the books you read? See above.7. Which book did you enjoy most? I enjoyed them all.8. Which did you enjoy least?The Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple. I started reading it and decided to DNF it. I wasn’t in the mood for it.9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn’t an official cheerleader, but I cheered about thirty blogs on and left comments on Instagram and Twitter. I don’t have any advice. Just have fun. Surprisingly, cheerleading can become pretty addictive.10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I’ve been participating in Dewey’s Readathon since the beginning, so I’m not going anywhere. As usual, I’ll probably be a reader and cheerleader once again.

The scene: // It’s a cold Easter morning as I sit at my desk, regretting the fact that I didn’t start cooking Easter dinner yesterday. I’m a big believer in cooking the day before, so I can just eat on a holiday. Now I have hours to go before the ham and everything else is done, which means I have to buy takeout.

Reading: // After talking to Memory, Chris, and Sarah, I finally started a free trial with the reading app, Scribd. The app has a crapload of comics that my library doesn’t have and I didn’t necessarily want to pay for since I’ve never read them. Since the start of my trial a few days ago, I have been reading up a storm! I read the first seven issues of The Lumberjanes series and Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh, a graphic novel. The app doesn’t feature the newest books, but I can use it to hit my reading goal of reading more diversely, trying out new comic series, and reading older books from my tbr list/pile. If you want to get a free two-month trial from Scribd, here’s the link: https://www.scribd.com/g/7271v

Celebrating: // The fact that it’s Spring Break. For the next seven days I can do pretty much what I want to do, which means I am reading from the stack of books above and taking the kids to various places like the beach and local museums. I’m also going to relax and enjoy the start of my third trimester.

I’m a winter person, but for some reason I am happy that spring is here. The new season is bringing a sense of renewal and the belief that better things are on the horizon. At least, it certainly feels that way.
Earlier this week, so many of my favorite bloggers posted a list of their spring TBR and it reminded me to make my own. Since spring ends in late June, I have plenty of time (fingers crossed) to read my list.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen. You guys, my girls are driving me nuts right now! I don’t know what’s going on. My sisters are 15 and my daughter is 13 and this sounds like a book that I need to read soon.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I can’t help but read this book every spring.

Fables vol. 21: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley. I’m already reading this one.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Winner of this year’s Newbery Medal.

Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister. Someone blogged about this book lately and I had to put it on hold.

Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor by Lynda Barry. This book has been on my tbr list for months, but is also out of print. Luckily, the book’s publisher, Drawn & Quarterly, says Syllabus will be back in stores at the end of the month.

The scene: // Cuddling with my family on the couch while watching HGTV’s Flea Market Flip. The older kids are in the kitchen washing dishes and making pancakes. Love.

This week: // has gone by in a flash! When I look back on it, the kids and I got a lot accomplished school-wise, but that’s about it. I guess I should be grateful for that.

Currently reading: // not much. My reading has drastically slowed down, but it’s my fault. I found myself doing things like being on Facebook and Instagram instead of reading. I plan on changing that this week and focusing on things I love and make me grow.

I started reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles for Joy’s New Year’s Resolutions Read-along. The author talks about feeling resistance whenever you have something positive you need to do but will take time. I’m feeling that when it comes to de-cluttering, reading, and even taking walks. I’m going to continue reading to see what the author suggests when it comes to pushing through resistance. If you want to join the read-along, there’s still time. The War of Art is a short book.

On my nightstand: // Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer. The graphic novel has been on many “best of 2014” lists last year. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin. Beyond Magenta tells the lives of transgendered teens in their own words. My daughter and Elisabeth read it and loved it, so it’s my turn to read it. Daphne’s Book by Mary Downing Hahn is a middle grade book I read in middle school and fell in love with. As an adult, I searched for an original copy of it and was lucky enough to find one. It’s the story of two girls, Daphne and Jessica, who have to come together for a school project. While Jessica’s life is pretty average, Daphne’s is anything but and she hides a serious secret. Readers who enjoyed Cynthia Voight’s The Tillerman Cycle will appreciate Daphne’s Book.

The scene: // It’s MLK Day, so the kids and I have the day off. That means I get to clean up the house, correct school work, celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday, and maybe buy some baby clothes for a little girl.

Even though it doesn’t feel like it, I’ve been on a reading roll lately thanks to my oldest. She started reading Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone series, which I’m now reading with her. I just started a few days ago and I’m now on the last book in the series.

Last week I read:

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini TaylorOther People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa DelpitDays of Blood & Sunlight by Laini TaylorSketch!: The Non-Artist’s Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van StoneTwenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank by Paula Yoo

This week I’m reading:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini TaylorArt is Fundamental: Teaching the Elements and Principles of Art in Elementary School by Eileen PrinceMinnie & Moo: Hooves of Fire by Denys Cazet (read-along with my youngest, If you have kids in the lower elementary grades, Minnie and Moo is a hilarious series to check out.)Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon (continuing)Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too by Mona Brookes (Belle told me about this book last week and I had to grab a copy. I’ve always been interested in learning to draw and Belle swears it’ll teach me.)

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

It’s a new year and I am determined to read more! Well every year I’m determined to read more, but this year is different. 2015 started off with me reading children’s books, but after reading Ms. Marvel last night, I feel energized.

This week I’m hoping to read:

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (YA). My daughter read this book a few weeks ago and cried her butt off. She’s been waiting for me to read it ever since.

The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp (YA). I’m on the fence with this one. We’ll see if I end up reading it.

Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon. I bought this book two years ago and never finished reading it! It’s over 700 pages, so I don’t plan on finishing this week but I will get it done.

Children’s books

I’m determined to read more often to the kids. I don’t know what happened, but the kids and I don’t read together as often anymore. I’m hoping to change that with a few picture and chapter books.

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

Happy Sunday! Instead of telling you what I’m up to, I decided to do something different. A Diverse Universe event is coming up and I thought I’ll write a list post for anyone who’s thinking about joining the event and don’t know what to read.

Bloggers like Aarti and Nymeth have eloquently written about why more people should read diversely. I’m not going to do it. I’ve realized that exploring works of art based on an author’s race means being open to something different. And either you are open to that or you’re not. Readers love the adventures that books can take them on, like new worlds light-years away or a dystopian version of the world they live in. Looking at race can be a different and harder thing to do. But it doesn’t have to be.

It’s an ongoing process, one that means making a decision book by book. It doesn’t mean suddenly changing the way you read overall. I, myself, have been guilty of not reading many books by people of color over the years. Or, I’ll read them but don’t review them. This year has been fantastic with books by people of color dominating my reviews, but I still have work to do.

Some critics have stated that by purposely choosing to read a book written by a person of color, you’re excluding whites. Well, that’s true. When you’re in the mood to read science fiction or fantasy that means excluding all writers who don’t write in that genre. Race isn’t any different. Nor is it any different when choosing to read books that won certain awards or set in different countries or translated from other languages. I hope everyone who reads this post makes a decision to pick up a book by a person of color. Like I stated earlier, that choice is up to you.

The books on my list were all published this year. I decided to give newly released books more bookish love than those that were published in previous years. By buying, borrowing, or reviewing new releases shows the gatekeepers that books by people of color are desired by readers.

Note: Most of the links to the titles below will take you to Goodreads. Several will take you to my reviews or the reviews of other bloggers.

The Day I Became an Autodidact: And the Advice, Adventures, and Acrimonies that Befell me Thereafter

Kendall Hailey

288 pages

Published in January 1989 by Delta

Source: Public library

A few days ago, I started reading The Day I Became an Autodidact by Kendall Hailey. Hailey, the daughter of a playwright and novelist, decided to graduate from high school a year early at the age of 16. Her turning point came when days after tenth grade ended, her school sent out a mandatory summer reading list. I don’t blame her. After being told what to read, what to write about, and what classes to take, the last thing anyone wants to do is slave away during the summer. I remember not wanting to do that during the school year.

So Hailey calls it quits with school and decides to become an autodidact, learning everything she needs to know through books. She reads Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina, Vile Bodies and Great Expectations. She takes trips with her family, reads, and takes more trips.

It’s great and all but I soon found myself wanting more. Part of the problem has to do with the fact that Hailey doesn’t do anything but read. Coming from a well-to-do family, the author doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to but it doesn’t make for a good story. I DNFed the book after reading sixty pages, so I can’t tell you if she ever does anything out of her comfort zone. Within the pages I read, she doesn’t volunteer, search for others like herself, or anything. What’s the point of educating yourself if you’re going to stay in a bubble? Granted, the memoir was written in the late 1980s and Google wasn’t a click away.

Maybe the problem is that I’m not the right target for this book. I mean, I love reading. If I could, I would read all day long, except I can’t. That’s why read-a-thon days and various breaks are like Christmas to me. Even while writing this post, I had to stop and play Legos with one kid and make a snack for another one.

It doesn’t matter.

Hailey’s thoughts are insightful at times and I found a few paragraphs that I want to photocopy. That wasn’t enough for me to want to finish this book. My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars. It’s okay.

Grateful for: // the fact that I start work tomorrow. It’s a warehouse job through a temp agency but it’s a start. I was looking for a job that I can work late afternoons or nights so I can still homeschool during the day and be around the kids. I’m glad I found one with compatible hours.

Appreciating: // my extended family. My cousin recently passed and Friday was his funeral. There was so many people there and we laughed and cried over my cousin’s antics. He was one of the most giving and friendly people you could ever meet. Going to his funeral was sad but it didn’t end that way. I was so happy to see my family and will keep in touch.

Writing down: // my summer bucket list. I saw a post on How Sweet It Is and within minutes came up with a ton of things for me and the kids to do this summer, which includes making watermelon gazpacho. Have you ever made a summer bucket list?

Bout of Books have officially started. I’m typing this on Sunday night since Mondays are always busy with meetings, homeschooling, and errands. Don’t worry, I’m taking my reads to the beach with me Monday afternoon since summer has pretty much hit Southern California. (I’m not bragging. I actually wish it was winter here.)

I’m starting the read-a-thon off with two books that aren’t on my original list: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton and For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu. I also plan on using this post to update my progress as I go.

Enjoy your Monday!

What are you looking forward to reading/doing this week?

Monday’s Update

Monday was fantastic! I started and finished The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. It was filled with beautiful writing and though I didn’t really get attached to any of the characters, it was still a nice book to read.

Books finished: 1

Pages read: 320

Now I just need to figure out what to read today (Tuesday). Any suggestions?

Tuesday’s Update

Tuesday was a total reading disaster. I couldn’t figure out what to read so I didn’t do any reading. Plus, this heat was so bad that all I wanted to do was sleep yesterday. Ugh. Today (Wednesday) it’s suppose to be 98 degrees. I can’t hibernate since I have a ton of things to do. Today’s book will either be There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff (a reread) or The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld.

Day 3 Mini-Challenge

Today’s mini-challenge is from My Overstuffed Books. B.o.B. participates are to pair a book with something.

My pairing is The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton and probably French bread. In the book, the main character’s grandmother owns the bakery in their small town and believes bread helps to heal almost anything. I love that idea.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

My goals for Bout of Books are:

To read for at least two hours a day. I need to get back into the habit of sitting down to just read again. I already finished my homework for the next two weeks, so I can find some time to read.

To review 90% of the books I read during the event.

To read at least four books.

I have a ton of books that I would like to finish in the next few months, so my pile comes from that stack. My pile of possibilities:

The Namesake by Jhumpi Lahiri.

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Ariana Huffington

April has come and gone. Thank God. It was just a stressful month. My neck is still sprained and I’m starting to understand – really understand that I’m getting older and it’s time for me to start taking better care of this body.

Now on to books.

I read an amazing 20 books last month. The books were in a variety of genres and for the most part, it was a good reading.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (reread)

Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Duffy and the Devil by Harve Zemach

Brimsby’s Hats by Andrew Prahin

Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything by Maira Kalman

Here I Am by Patti Kim

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers by Michael Brian Bendis

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Delancey : A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenberg

Dog Loves Counting by Louise Yates

Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock

The Fantastic Art of Jacek Yerka

I decided to include the children’s books for those of you who read and enjoy the genre.

An Untamed State was the best book I read last month with the third volume of Saga a close second.

As I type this, it’s Saturday night, hours before the readathon’s 5 am start date in Southern California. I’m not getting up that early to start reading but I still wanted to make sure my post was up.

The start of the readathon is always exciting. The house is quiet at 5 am and the only sounds to be heard are the ones coming from the coffee pot. I always tell my family that the readathon is my Christmas; it’s the day that I get to sit back, ignore most of the errands and chores that need to be done, and do something I really enjoy: reading.

My reading stack includes:

Anansi Boys – Neil Gaiman

Midwinter Blood – Marcus Sedgwick

Running Like a Girl – Alexandra Heninsley

Noggin – Corey Haley

A Snicker of Magic – Natalie Lloyd

When the Emperor was Divine – Julie Otsuka

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

Ella Enchanted – Gail Levine

Today I Am a Boy – Kim Fu

Cress – Marissa Meyer (already started)

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons – Sam Kean (already started)

Usually, I have graphic novels, children’s books, and a bit of poetry in my stack but I was unable to get to the library in time. What I have should keep me busy as the books are in a variety of genres from fantasy to dystopian, nonfiction to young adult.

Readathoning along with me is my twelve year-old daughter, Piper. Her stack includes a ton of manga and hopefully Cress for school. The boys may join but I’m not holding my breath.

What books are in your stack?

First Update

I’m up! I’m up! It’s hour one of the readathon and I finally woke up. Piper, on the other hand, has been up for hours reading. Now she’s asleep. Hee hee! I should take a picture of her with her beauty mask on, but I want to live.

Intro Meme

1. We’re reading from Southern California.

2. I love my stack of books so I’m excited about everything I end up reading. I think Piper feels the same way.

3. The snack I’m looking forward to reading is actually a meal. I’m making red beans and rice for dinner early this morning. I can’t wait.

4. Telling you something about myself is always hard. I never know what to say. I’m a mother of three lovely kids, my favorite thing to do besides reading is to ride my men’s beach cruiser named Dorothy. She’s red. 😉 Piper is a 12 year-old girl who loves anime, baking, and riding on her roller skates. Her dream is to go to school in Paris to become a pastry chef.

5. I participated in the last readathon. I know to just have fun and keep the pressure low.

Hour 8 Update

Since my last update, I have:

read more pages in Cress

started making dinner (red beans and rice)

took a break to do some cheerleading

Piper has finally woken up and she’s eating lunch.

Oliver (my 10 year-old) has joined the readathon and is currently reading a Lego comic.

The scene: // Sitting in my living room, typing this. Spring break for my sisters and I have started. I still have homeschooling but since spraining my neck (didn’t know that was possible) earlier last week, I’m going to be lying down a lot.

Just finished reading: // An Untamed State by Roxane Gay. Shannon and I were discussing it a little via Goodreads. I recommend it to Aarti, Ana, Jill, and Jenny.

Now I’m continuing: // a few books I started earlier last week like A Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean (nonfiction) and Cress by Marissa Meyer. I like I’m going to DNF Delancey by Molly Wizenberg for now. It’s an okay book but I’m not pulled in to the writing.

Next up: // Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Someone (who?) reviewed this book a few months ago and I had to pick it up.

Ever have moments when you walk into the library and you want everything you see?*

Pick up book after book, taking them home though you know it might be awhile before you’re able to get to read them?

Look at those books longingly as they linger unread on your shelves?

Guiltily return your stack of books to the library unread and sometimes even late?

*Of course, this situation also applies to bookstores.

If you answered yes to two or more questions, then you have a case of your eyes being bigger than your reading stomach.

I have a case of this right now. There are so many books currently being published that sound amazing. I’ve been checking out stacks of books from the library, though the only way I will get to them is if I took a few weeks off from everything to just read.

For me, one of the side effects from this bookish condition is guilt. My bookshelves are stuffed with unread books and instead of trying to read what I own, I’m constantly picking up books that blogging friends have raved about. I often find new-to-me authors that way but my shelves are collecting dust.

While I think there’s no cure for having such a huge reading appetite, I’ll probably cut back on what I check out from the library for now. It would be nice to read some of the books I’ve own for a year or so.

What do you do when your reading eyes are bigger than your stomach? Do you just go with it or try to cut back on what you check out from the library or accept from publishers?

The scene: // at my kitchen table, nursing a cold cup of coffee. After going to a late showing of Captain America: The Winter Soldier last night, I’ve had very little sleep.

For two weeks: // I was unable to finish a book. I would start a book, only to put it down after a few pages. Life has been chaotic and hard lately. There are so many changes coming and I’m trying to brace myself. Yesterday, I needed something fairytale like and found it with Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, a modern-day retelling of the Snow Queen fairy tale. It was just what I needed. I finished the book in one day. Review coming soon (hopefully).

For homeschooling, I’m reading Love that Dog by Sharon Creech with my youngest. I’m also diving into A Wrinkle in Time with my middle son.

Celebrating: //my blogiversary! I’ve been blogging for seven years now. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. I may celebrate with a giveaway in a week or so.

Wishing: // I could stop time. I have so much to do today including homework, washing clothes, and a million other things. I need my weekend to be a little bit longer.

Promoting: // Jill’s (Rhapsody in Books) review of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Jill heard about Annihilation via Facebook, one of the few online places that I don’t see many book recommendations. What about you, do you get book recommendations on Facebook?

The scene: // sitting in my living room, relaxing. It has been a long morning as I’ve been up since 4 am. I went for a sunrise stroll on the beach, ate breakfast at a local diner, and now I’m ready to go back to bed!

I needed some fiction to read, so I started reading Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile.

Completing: // the last day of Bloggiesta. I’m more than halfway through with my to-do list. Now I just need to brainstorm some ideas for future posts.

Celebrating: // the fact that the Excel portion of my computer class is over with! Now my class will try to conquer Microsoft Access.

Thinking about: // two posts with similar ideas. Yesterday Shannon (River City Reading) shared what she read in March and how she hasn’t read any books that blows her “out of the water”. Andi (Estella’s Revenge) write a similar post this morning.

I had to check my own Goodreads account and see how many 5-star books I’ve read for this year. The number: 3. That’s not surprising. I’ve read some pretty good reads but not many amazing ones. Hmmm.

To be honest with you, this reading “challenge” is one of the reasons why I continue to blog. I’ve been blogging for seven years and I’ve joined this event almost every year. If I remember correctly, it was Dewey who got me to join (she also got me to read Neil Gaiman and graphic novels too). Reading events and challenges like Once Upon a Time, Readers Imbibing Peril (R.I.P.), and Dewey’s Readathon always leave me feeling excited and breathless at their arrival.

Anyways. Here’s the details:

Once Upon a Time is an annual reading challenge hosted by Carl (Stainless Steel Droppings).

Readers can read from any of the four categories: Folklore, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, and Mythology.

It runs from March 21st – June 21st.

Participants pick how they want to participate from watching movies to reading short stories.

The only rule: have fun.

Since I can’t join a reading event of any kind without going overboard, I think I’ll join a quest or two.

Rule: Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the four categories. It can be a combination or one book from each category. Readers decide.
My pile of books:

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Half World by Hiromi Goto

A reading event that includes watching movies or TV shows?! Hell yes! I do need some suggestions though.

So that’s what I’m going to read. What are you reading for Once Upon a Time VIII? You are going to join, right?

The scene: // sitting at my desk in the living room. The coffee pot is perking and the kids are asleep!! Yes! Spring break started for the kids yesterday and I’m have a four-day weekend filled with Excel sheets to create, a midterm to do, and books to read and review.

Eating and drinking: // coffee! We’re having waffles for breakfast.

Currently reading: // The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith and Mr. Loverman by Bernandine Evaristo. I’m hoping to finish both within the next day or so.

Up next: // All the Bird, Singing by Evie Wyld and a host of children’s books

I tried to pick some diverse reads, ranging from format (Woman Rebel and Maus are graphic novels) to experience. I’m currently reading L.A. Son, a foodie memoir, and Out of the Woods. I’m really enjoying both of them.

It’s ridiculous how fast this year is going by. I did read somewhere if there’s nothing new and different going on in your life, it seems like time is passing by fast. Do you guys think that’s true? Looking at my life, I’m not really doing anything different – yet. It’s just the usual with school for me and homeschooling for the kiddos. I need to change that.

In February I read a total of 16 books, a combination of children’s books, graphic novels, and exactly one book of fiction. Highlights include:

Overall, February was a pretty good month with a lot of interesting reads especially with all the nonfiction picture books.

Looking forward

One of my goals for this year is to tackle my tbr mountain but I’ve been ignoring it. It’s so hard to read from your own stac k when there are so many shiny new library books to read.

Chris and Debi have decided that their reading theme for March will be Memoirs and I think joining in will be a good way to help me get some of my own books
read. I haven’t made a list just yet but give me time.

The scene: // hanging out in my living room with the heater on and some pretty tulips on my table

Currently Reading: // so many books right now. I think I’ll spend the next week trying to get through most of them. I set aside The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean and An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Col. Chris Hadfield to pick up Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham. Willingham is a psychologist who writes about how our minds work and how our theories about thinking can help or hinder kids in school. It’s really interesting. I’m also rereading The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan with one of my sons. Bryan read the series a few weeks ago and it made me want to read the first book again.

Setting aside last Sunday to dive into graphic novels felt great. I may have to do that every Sunday in February. Last Sunday I read Jane, the Fox, and Me by Franny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault along with A Matter of Life by Jeffrey Brown, and Aphrodite by George O’Connor.

Blogging about: // nothing. I haven’t had the time to write a post. Maybe I’ll review the books I mentioned above.

Promoting: // a few fantastic posts I read this week. M over at Buried in Print wrote about kidlit especially the books she read as a child and current children’s books.

Jenny (Reading the End) wrote another Stuff to Worry About Post about the plague that’s currently affecting starfish. It’s fascinating and pretty sad.

Last but not least is the latest issue of Bloggers Recommend which you can find here. The issue is the best looking one to date. It includes author interviews, excerpts of upcoming releases, and of course book blurbs.

Now I’m off to: // do homeworking, lesson planning, and of course make some waffles.